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Are the New York Knicks in trouble?
For the second time in three nights, the Atlanta Hawks upset New York in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and now the Knicks have fallen behind in the series, 2-1. In Game 2, it was a historic blown lead in the fourth quarter. With New York’s 109-108 loss Thursday, April 23, it was an inability to complete an attempted comeback after trailing most of the game.
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So, as for the question above. In short, the answer is yes.
For one, the Hawks — a balanced team with players who fit specialized roles — are playing with confidence and competing. They’re being led by veteran guard CJ McCollum (who has 81 points this series), they have a pair of dynamic, two-way wings in Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and they have a bench that is suddenly rising to the occasion.
And, if we’re just playing the odds, history shows the massive importance of Game 3s. In the history of Best-of-7 series, the winner of Game 3 following a 1-1 tie has gone on to win the series 74% of the time.
New York’s offense has been something of a mess. Similar to last season, the Knicks rely far too much on Jalen Brunson, particularly in the clutch. Brunson is New York’s best closer, so this does make some practical sense. But the issue is the operation and the way a lot of these shots are created.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
Moondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
Moondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energy
A member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team performs during a time out during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.
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NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/knicks-trouble-hawks-2-1-020102896.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-24 02:01:00
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